


dynamite with a laser beam

by allthefadinglights



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Formula 2 RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Callum is a vigilante and Marcus helps him, Civilian!Marcus, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, It's a little complicated but it is essentially friends to lovers in a way, M/M, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Vigilante!Callum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29966118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthefadinglights/pseuds/allthefadinglights
Summary: Callum didn’t exactly have super powers, or any at all, but he was quite tech savvy. His latest invention was a bulletproof fabric, which had been made into a suit. It looked pretty professional, he had to admit, and with the jetpack he’d perfected the other day and the voice distortion device built into his mask, he was a proper vigilante.
Relationships: Marcus Armstrong/Callum Ilott
Comments: 8
Kudos: 44





	dynamite with a laser beam

**Author's Note:**

> This was honestly a work and a half. Sometimes you have one of those stories that just writes itself. This was one of them. 
> 
> Callum is not a superhero, he doesn't have any superpowers whatsoever. I think the most unrealistic thing about this is Callum being tech savvy if I'm honest lmao.
> 
> I consider this fic my baby and I think it's one of my best works to date, so I really hope you all enjoy this <3

Becoming a vigilante hadn’t been in Callum’s top five of things he wanted to do when he was older, and yet that’s exactly what he has become. London is a mess, a big city with a lot of crime and even Callum was a couple dozen eyes short to keep up with everything. The few times he had been spotted by people, he’d made the front page of the papers, claiming a new superhero was in town. Callum didn’t exactly have super powers, or any at all, but he was quite tech savvy. And his parents were wealthy, so they’d given him pretty much free rein to practice his hobby of inventing new devices. His latest one was a bulletproof fabric, which had been made into a suit. It looked pretty professional, he had to admit, and with the jetpack he’d perfected the other day and the voice distortion device built into his mask, he was a proper vigilante. Oh, he didn’t actually hurt anyone, his presence was usually enough to keep the peace and he’d had to chase a purse snatcher once or twice but nothing major. 

Until tonight. Callum had been in the middle of attempting to foil a burglary on a big house in the suburbs, in the middle of the night. The two men had repeatedly told him to leave them be or he’d regret it, but Callum figured he was pretty safe with his bulletproof suit. He should’ve guessed that London thugs weren’t refined enough for guns but just beat him and kicked him until he was on the ground - hand-to-hand combat wasn’t something he could practice on his own in his room. It’s the first time someone’s actually attacked him and taken a swing at him and it goddamn _hurts_. He’s on the lawn on his back, attempting to get some air back into his lungs but every breath he draws sends sharp spikes of pain throughout his body. He needs to get out of here before the police arrives and finds a burgled house and Callum on the front lawn, but he can’t even roll over on his side to sit up. He’s so fucked.

“Hey,” someone calls out to him, quietly. If Callum was able to turn his head, he’d see the boy who is headed towards him. “You’re that vigilante, right? You tried to stop them?”

“Yeah,” Callum wheezes. “Didn’t work.” A face swims into view as the boy hovers over him, and Callum recognises him. Of course he does, it’s Marcus, he’s not taking the same major in college as Callum but he knows him from a couple classes they had in common earlier in the year. He doesn’t really consider them friends, but if Marcus can get him out of here and patch him up, he might change his opinion on that. 

“Where does it hurt?” Marcus asks firmly. He hasn’t recognised Callum - he shouldn’t be able to - because his mask is still intact and the voice distorter is doing its job. 

“Everywhere?” Callum tries. “Ribs and stomach mainly.”

“Do you think you can stand? If I assist you.”

“My legs feel okay but I’m not sure how I’m gonna get up,” Callum replies. The thought alone sends more pain throughout his body and he suppresses a groan.

“It’s gonna hurt,” Marcus says nonchalantly. “Probably a lot. But I don’t think you have much of a choice here, considering the police are most likely on their way and staying here is a sure fire way of getting arrested. It’s up to you, but I can help you. Just gotta grit your teeth and work through it.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Callum says after thinking for a second. It’s his best option, really. As long as he keeps the mask on, there’s no way Marcus will figure out who he is and getting arrested would get him in serious trouble with the law, his parents, and at college. Marcus counts to three before pulling Callum in a sitting position, holding him up when Callum nearly passes out from the pain. 

“Please tell me you’re not heavy,” Marcus whispers. “I might have to carry you.”

“Feeling a lot like a damsel in distress here,” Callum groans when the world stops spinning. 

“Well, you are in distress. We’ll see about the damsel part. And save the smartass remarks for later. This is gonna hurt as well but we’re running out of time.” Without warning, Marcus scoops him up bridal style and marches off. Callum is mildly impressed, but also in too much pain to think about it for too long. He must have passed out at some point, because the next time he opens his eyes he’s on a bed and Marcus is hovering over him. “Oh, good, you’re awake,” he says cheerfully. “Not that I can see anything through that mask but you’ve gone back to wheezing and you’re stirring so.”

“Yeah, I’m awake,” Callum mumbles. “Wish I wasn’t, though.” He hears Marcus chuckle across the room. “Thank you for leaving the mask on. I know it must’ve been tempting to take it off, but I promise my face is fine. They targeted my chest and stomach.”

“You’re gonna have to take off the suit, though. Top half at least, I need to see what the damage is. If anything is broken, we’re going straight to the hospital, I don’t care if you disagree because serious injuries require serious help.” Callum nods, wincing in pain immediately - that’s a fair condition. “And the voice thing is starting to creep me out a bit, so it’d be nice if you can turn that off.”

Callum chuckles, flicking the switch on the voice distorter. “Better?”

“Much, thank you. Now it feels like I’m talking to a person and not Darth Vader himself.”

“Oh, I’m much better looking than Darth Vader,” Callum says, reaching up to unzip his suit down to his waist. That’s the easy part, getting out of it will be a struggle. “Can I get some help here?” Marcus comes over to him and slowly helps him get his arms out of the suit. He suggests just cutting it, but Callum protests loudly. Getting another bulletproof suit made is expensive, even for him. He’d rather suffer a bit longer than have to order a new suit. “Oh god, I need to let my parents know I’ll be out all night.”

“You live with your parents?” Marcus asks, barely hiding his amusement. “That’s genuinely hilarious.”

“Shut up,” Callum mumbles, pulling his phone out of the reinforced compartment where he keeps it. 

“Right, while you text your parents I’ll check you over to see what the damage is. I know what I’m doing, I take a first aid class every year to stay up to standard. Wasn’t expecting it to be useful with a vigilante, but hey, whatever works,” Marcus tells him, gently putting his hands on Callum’s upper body. It’s calming, comforting, letting Marcus run his hands over his ribs - even if it’s painful as hell - while Callum sends his mom a quick text that he’s staying over at a friend’s. 

Marcus is cute, is the thing Callum is noticing now. Maybe it’s just because he’s a little out of his mind from the pain, but he’s never gotten the opportunity to look at Marcus this closely. He has little moles dotted around his face and his eyes are a very interesting mix of blue, green and a bit of brown. God, Callum can really not afford to develop a crush on him, he’s seen enough superhero movies to know that the main character’s love interest always gets snatched up by the evil villain for leverage. 

“You know, I can tell you’re looking at me even with that hideous mask on,” Marcus says casually, pressing his fingers to one of Callum’s ribs. 

“It’s not hideous,” Callum protests. He can’t protest the looking part, because he was very much looking at Marcus. He might be in pain, but he’s not blind. And the mask isn’t hideous, it’s just plain and black, and it covers his entire face, even his eyes. He can still see, obviously, but his eyes are invisible from the outside. It’s very practical, is what it is. Marcus gives him a pointed look, gently pressing his fingers to Callum’s stomach. He hasn’t yelled out in pain yet, it hurts but not as much as he was expecting. 

“The good news is that I don’t think anything is broken or seriously injured. The bad news is it’ll hurt like a bitch for a couple days, maybe weeks. I’d stock up on painkillers if I were you,” Marcus informs him. Callum’s almost disappointed when he removes his hands. “You can stay here tonight, I’ll get you some painkillers and you can get some sleep.” Callum is about to ask him how that’s going to work - he can’t sleep with the mask on but he doesn’t want to reveal himself to Marcus. “You can stay here, I’ll take the guest room,” Marcus adds. 

“No, I’d hate to have to delegate you to the guest room in your own apartment,” Callum protests. He feels bad enough as it is, he can’t take up Marcus’s room as well. He’s still unable to get up, though, so Marcus is probably right about this being the best solution. “I’m sorry.”

Marcus smiles at him. “It’s okay, I wouldn’t have picked you up off the grass if I wasn’t fine with it.” He throws a box of painkillers on the night stand and hands Callum a bottle of water. “Two of these, every four hours. I don’t care if you start having pain before the four hours are up, just stick to the prescription guidelines or you’ll have another problem on your hands.”

“Yes boss,” Callum mumbles. He’ll have to wait for Marcus to leave until he can take them - the mask is really proving to be a pain. 

“Good night, mystery vigilante. I’ll be out in the morning because I have class but I’ll leave breakfast in the kitchen for you. Just shut the door behind you when you leave.”

“Thank you, so much, for everything,” Callum says sincerely. Marcus waves it off. “Good night, Marcus.” He only realises his error when Marcus freezes in the doorway. He didn’t tell Callum his name. 

“I haven’t told you my name,” Marcus says, regarding him with suspicion. Callum would like to take back any complaints about the mask, because he’s a horrible liar and at least his facial expressions can’t give him away.

“Psychic powers,” is what he replies. There’s no way Marcus will believe that - and he doesn’t, judging by his face - but thankfully, he doesn’t question it any further either. He turns off the lights as he leaves, closing the door behind him and leaving Callum in the dark room by himself. As soon as he’s taken off the mask and taken the painkillers, he’s out like a light, pain be damned.

Marcus has left him a note in the kitchen in the morning. Callum feels even worse than last night, which he hadn’t thought to be possible, but it’s mainly his muscles being stiff and sore now, and the bruises turning purple and blue. The note states that if things don’t improve within days, he still has to go to the hospital. Callum leaves a ‘thanks 4 everything’ on the same piece of paper and goes on his way home after he’s eaten something. Everything hurts, even with painkillers in his system, but he doesn’t have much choice.

He signs himself up for a self defence class the following week when he’s feeling much better and like he can actually move around again. He’s run into Marcus on campus once or twice, always greeting each other with a smile but not much more than just a simple ‘how are you’ in passing. Callum’s giving himself time to heal before he goes back out in his vigilante role, knows he’s no good to the public if he collapses on the spot - again - but it feels wrong reading in the papers about thefts and robberies he could’ve prevented. He’s learning a lot about self defence, and he starts putting in some more gym time as well. He needs to have some strength in case a situation like this comes up again and he has to defend himself. 

It takes Callum a week or four to be ready again, but he really does feel prepared now, like he can take on anyone without being humiliated again. That still doesn’t mean he’s going to go looking for fights, because that’s not what his mission is about - it’s about helping people. Between lectures, nights out on the streets and homework, Callum realises he thinks about Marcus a lot. The way he cared for Callum, helped him when there was really no reason to, looked after him and even gave up his bed for Callum to sleep in. He wants to tell Marcus who he is so badly. His friends have already been making fun of him for looking like a lovesick puppy whenever he’s run into Marcus, but Callum is pretty sure it’s too late to tell Marcus about his nightly activities now. He should’ve just come clean that night, told Marcus who he was instead of all the secrecy. 

He decides to take the risk of approaching Marcus, no longer content with just saying hi when they pass each other on campus. He might come off as a weirdo, but then again, given that Marcus still greets him with the same level of enthusiasm and he’s been running into Callum more often lately, it’s probably not that weird to strike up an actual conversation. As luck would have it, Callum is just planning to get some work done in the library when he spots Marcus at a table near the entrance. He’s by himself, and a quick look around confirms that every other table is taken, so it’s a convenient excuse to sit with Marcus. “Hi,” Callum says. His voice sounds a lot steadier than he’s feeling. “Do you mind if I sit with you? Everything else is full.”

Marcus looks up from his text book - something with a lot of numbers, as far as Callum can tell - and his frown gets replaced by a smile. “Hey, of course. I was about to tear my hair out over this, so any distraction is welcome.” 

“Anything I can help with?” Callum asks. He doesn’t major in economics, but he’s pretty good with numbers usually. Marcus studies him for a second before pushing his text book and notebook over to Callum. He hums, reading over the section Marcus indicates quickly and figuring out where he’s gone wrong with his calculations rather fast. He explains to Marcus where he went wrong while correcting a few numbers until he gets the correct answer.

“Thanks,” Marcus says, sounding surprised. “You solved that really fast, I had been stuck on it for at least half an hour. Sure you don’t wanna switch your major to economics?”

Callum chuckles, pulling out his sketchbook, the one he uses to work out ideas for new things to build. He keeps his vigilante related plans in another sketchbook at home, just in case someone steals this one. “Nah, I’m good. Just like working with numbers and I get plenty of that in engineering, as well as developing things.”

“Do you mind if I-?” Marcus gestures to the sketchbook. “Sorry, I’m just curious. It’s okay if you don’t wanna share your work.”

“It’s not like you’re gonna run off with my ideas and hand them in before I can,” Callum shrugs, pushes it over to Marcus. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Marcus says. He looks serious, but the corners of his mouth are pulling up slightly. “Maybe my professor will give me extra credit for presenting him with a design for a…. turbo engine?” Callum nods. “Okay no, I can’t hand that in anywhere. I can talk my way through almost anything but presenting plans for an engine in economics class would just be weird.”

Callum laughs at that and just like that, it’s like they’ve been friends for ages. They both get back to their own work, chatting a little now and then, and Callum helps Marcus with some more economic problems when he can’t figure it out. Callum, perhaps not very subtly, suggests he give Marcus his number so he can always text Callum if he’s stuck on another problem and needs help. “I might just take you up on that,” Marcus warns him, “so be prepared when I text you five times a day with economics problems.”

“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t wanna help,” Callum tells him. They part ways when all their work is done, and Callum feels good about this, about himself - when the thought that Marcus still doesn’t know he’s the vigilante makes a reappearance. Fuck. He still doesn’t know how to casually drop it into a conversation. He can’t exactly go ‘ _Hey, I’m the vigilante you found on a lawn when he got his ass kicked and who you let sleep in your bed_ ’ now, can he. Like he usually does with things he doesn’t want to deal with, he pushes the thought to the back of his mind. He’ll deal with that later.

A week or three later, in the evening, Callum picks up a report on his scanner about a possible house break-in. That alone is reason enough for him to go have a look, but when he recognises the address he’s already halfway out the door - it’s Marcus’s place. He beats the police there, sees Marcus’s front door is open just a fraction and Callum doesn’t hesitate before stepping inside. Marcus is on the sofa, facing the two men Callum recognises from his lawn incident, looking scared but also really tired of the situation. “Like I said twice before, I’m a college student. There’s nothing of value here.”

“Don’t lie to us,” one of the burglars growls, whacking Marcus across the face. Callum flinches at the sound of it. “We know you helped that vigilante last month, tell us who he is and where we can find him.” 

“No,” Marcus says defiantly. He doesn’t know anything - why doesn’t he just say that? Callum doesn’t understand. Maybe they’ll leave him alone when they realise he really doesn’t know anything. But it also does something funny to his heart, to realise that Marcus is protecting him - even if he doesn’t know it’s Callum. 

“Last chance. I don’t think your buddy is gonna show up and save you now.” It’s very much a threat, and for a split second Callum can see in Marcus’s eyes just how scared he really is. Okay, it’s time for Callum to interfere. He braces himself to get his ass handed to him again - but he’s been training and he knows what to do now. The confrontation is surprisingly quick - mainly because the police was right behind Callum and arrested both burglars just as Callum had worked them both to the ground. He has to go, can’t hang around in case the police decides they have questions for him. He squeezes Marcus’s shoulder quickly before ducking out of the apartment. He stays in the area, though, waits for the police to leave. There’s no way he’s leaving Marcus alone tonight. It takes nearly an hour before they pack it up and leave Marcus to it, and Callum is up the stairs before he knows what he’s doing. Knocking on the door might scare Marcus, but there’s really not any other way to let him know he’s here. 

“It’s me, don’t panic,” he calls through the door, having remembered to switch off the voice distorting device beforehand. “I can go back to my Darth Vader voice if that convinces you.” The door opens just a fraction, but it’s enough for Marcus to realise that it’s actually Callum outside. “I’m sorry I had to go,” Callum says when he steps inside. Marcus looks terrible. “Can’t get caught, even if it’s for a good cause.”

“I know,” Marcus says. He surprises Callum by wrapping his arms around him and burying his face in the crook of Callum’s neck. Callum is a little overwhelmed to suddenly have his arms full of Marcus, but he’s pretty sure this is what Marcus needs right now. “Thank you. I don’t know how you got here when you did, but you really did come just in time.”

“Contrary to my earlier statement, I don’t have psychic powers. I was just listening to my police scanner when I recognised the address,” Callum admits. “I’m so sorry they targeted you because of me. Please let me take a look at your face, he hit you pretty hard.” He cups Marcus’s chin gently, turning his head to the side to have a look. It’s a little swollen and red, but it doesn’t look too bad. “I have to admit, I don’t know much about all this medical stuff but it looks fine to me. Maybe put some ice on it.” It’s… eye-opening to be this close to Marcus, to feel his eyes on him and the memory of his arms around Callum still tangible. Fine, he’s grown to care about Marcus, a lot. And not just because he saved Callum’s ass. It’s about time he admits to himself that he feels things for Marcus, things he can’t really put a name to yet, but might be able to eventually.

Marcus is looking at him with curious eyes, following him to the kitchen where he rummages Marcus’s freezer for anything that could serve as an ice pack. “I’m sorry to ask, and you can say no, but will you stay here tonight? I’d rather not be alone,” Marcus mumbles when Callum has located a bag of frozen peas and wraps a towel around it to press it gently to the bruise on Marcus’s face. 

“Of course,” Callum says. “I was gonna offer but you beat me to it. I’ll take the guest room this time.” They sit together for a while, the swelling having gone down eventually but neither of them wanting to move just yet. Marcus can’t stop yawning, clearly tired, but he seems scared to go to sleep. “You should get some sleep,” he tells Marcus softly. “I’ll be right in the guest room, just shout if there’s something wrong. Nothing will happen to you, I promise.”

“Thank you,” Marcus replies quietly, putting the bag of peas back in his freezer and then, seemingly, waiting for Callum to get up. He gets wrapped up in another hug as soon as he does, a short one this time, and it feels so _right_ that it just hits Callum in the face. “I feel a lot safer with you around. Good night, mystery vigilante.” 

It’s oddly familiar when Callum replies with a simple “Good night, Marcus.” 

Every little noise makes him jump during the night. Even the wind howling around the building sounds terrifying. Callum might be a vigilante, but he’s also very easily scared. He promised Marcus, though, so he stays up as much as he can, taking a few short naps throughout the night to get some rest at the very least. He’ll regret this in the morning - not protecting Marcus and making him feel safe and protected, but the not sleeping - and he might fall asleep during class at some point. At several points during the night, he walks over to Marcus’s door to make sure everything is quiet. Marcus’s breathing is even and calm, a good indication he’s actually asleep, and Callum is glad. 

He leaves as soon as Marcus gets up the following morning, longing for another hug but settling for a quick shoulder squeeze. “Take care,” is the only thing he can come up with. He can’t exactly say ‘see you around’ because Marcus isn’t supposed to know who he is. 

“I’ll see you around,” Marcus smiles at him. “Hard to miss when you’re flying around with that obnoxious thing on your back.” 

“That _thing_ is one of my best inventions,” Callum huffs. He leaves with another smile from Marcus and a warm feeling in his chest. He has to rush home to take a quick shower and get changed, because he can’t show up to class in his vigilante outfit - he doesn’t want to, either. He barely makes it to class in time, ignoring the weird looks he receives from his friends. He’s rarely late - unless he’s had a rough night on the streets, but that’s thankfully not that often.

Callum runs into Marcus after his lecture, on his way to the library. He wants to ask how Marcus is holding up really badly, but he’s not supposed to know what happened. He’s supposed to pretend he didn’t sleep over in his guest room or pressed an ice pack to his face. It’s surprisingly difficult to forget about last night. “You look tired,” Marcus tells him. “Didn’t sleep well?”

Callum shakes his head. “My little sister gets nightmares and she always wakes me up.” It’s not a complete lie - she does wake Callum up when she’s had a nightmare, it just wasn’t the case last night. “What happened to you?” he asks then, studying the bruise on Marcus’s face. It’s visible and quite obvious, but it doesn’t look as bad as it did yesterday. 

“Long story,” Marcus sighs. “Do you have a free period? I might need some help with economics class again.” Callum nods, leading him to the library and finding them a table. “Right, my apartment got broken into last night and the two burglars clearly hadn’t expected me to be home so they… attacked me.” 

Callum feigns shock, probably not as well as he’d like, but he’s still seeing red about those men laying hands on Marcus so his anger and concern is anything but fake. “Oh my god, that’s awful. I’m so sorry, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I am now,” Marcus says and he smiles. He doesn’t mention the vigilante - Callum - at all, which Callum finds curious. If he got rescued by some mystery vigilante, he’d lead the story with that. “Right, I’ve been stuck on this problem for an hour now, could you take a look? I really don’t know where I went wrong.” And that’s the end of that. Callum doesn’t want to press it any further in case he accidentally says something he shouldn’t know, and he’s a horrible liar. So he just helps Marcus and keeps an eye on him, watching for any signs of remaining trauma. Of course, he’s not going to see everything, and Marcus will be traumatised by this, but there’s really not much he can do. They’ve only become friends recently, it’s not his place to drag Marcus to see a therapist. He catches Marcus’s eye eventually, feeling his face get hot whenever Marcus makes eye contact. He feels like a kid with a crush - and he is, in a way, just not a kid anymore. 

Callum takes it easy the following weeks on his vigilante business, keeping an ear out for anything on the scanner and especially in Marcus’s neighbourhood. The two burglars are still in jail, being held awaiting a trial, but Callum is wary. He hasn’t gone as far as to patrol in the area, but he’s alert. It’s strange, to be developing two different relationships with Marcus at the same time. As Callum, they’re friends now, and Marcus opens up around him a little more. They get along well, and if Callum thinks he catches Marcus looking at him sometimes with a peculiar look on his face, that’s just his imagination. As the vigilante, it’s a bit more complicated. Marcus saved him, he saved Marcus in return so they’re pretty much square. It’s weird, though, knowing that he’s been so close to Marcus, helped him out and let him help Callum, but being unable to do anything about it. There’s a certain level of comfort they’ve reached around each other, even if he doesn’t see Marcus when he’s the vigilante very often. He knows Marcus cares about him in a different way, as Callum cares about Marcus as well.

Callum is just so goddamn conflicted on his feelings, he doesn’t really know what to do with them. It’s still weighing on him with the pressure of a thousand suns that Marcus doesn’t know about his other activities. He wants more than just friendship with Marcus, he has figured that much out, but not without being honest with him. It’d be starting off on the wrong foot entirely if they get into a relationship and he doesn’t tell Marcus. Of course, everyone is allowed to keep their secrets, but this isn’t a small one. This is a ‘I could possibly get injured or die out on the streets’ kind of secret that would affect both of them. 

And so, Callum does nothing. Fine, maybe he’s a coward in that aspect, but he’s got enough going on in his life without taking on that entire debacle of inner turmoil. Over the next few weeks, he saves a few old ladies from having their purses snatched, prevents a few thefts, nothing major. He finds himself longing to hold Marcus’s hand and kiss him, to the point where it’s starting to get painful and where he gets sad when they part ways in the library for class. It’s annoying, because it clouds his judgement, but on the other hand, maybe his judgement has always been clouded when it comes to Marcus. 

Callum faces a serious situation the next week, getting his first real test of just how bulletproof his suit is. The answer is, thankfully, very. He manages to keep the attacker subdued until the police arrives. Marcus is in the crowd, Callum sees him looking worried - not at the attacker getting carted off, but at Callum. He tilts his head, disappears into an alley away from the crowd. His chest hurts - the bullet may not have pierced his suit but it sure did hurt with the speed at which it was fired. Marcus takes the hint and follows him, looking at him questioningly. “Are you okay? You got hit pretty hard, even if it didn’t go right through you.” His tone is casual, but the question is anything but. 

“It’ll probably bruise,” Callum says and he sees Marcus’s face scrunch up at the sound of his voice distorting device. He turns it off and clears his throat. “Sorry.”

“I can check it for you,” Marcus offers quietly. “See if you need medical attention or if it’s just bruised. If it hit you wrong you might be in danger of a collapsed lung or some other injury.”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” Callum feels fine, aside from bruised, but he’s not going to turn down the offer to spend more time with Marcus. “I’m not undressing here, though.”

Marcus chuckles. “You know where my place is, I’ll take the underground there and you… do whatever it is you do. Meet you there?” 

“Sounds like a plan,” Callum says with a grin on his face. He knows Marcus won’t be able to see it anyway, but that doesn’t stop him. He beats Marcus to his place by minutes, having flown over London, and he waits patiently outside of Marcus’s apartment building, praying to god no one chose this moment to walk their dog or go out for their groceries. That’d be a lot to explain to his neighbours.

Marcus gestures for him to unzip the suit and get his arms out of it so he can check properly. Unlike the first time, Callum is leaning against his kitchen table, tracking Marcus’s every movement behind the mask as Marcus carefully inspects the place the bullet hit him, making sure nothing is severely injured and he’s not in danger of dying anytime soon. No guarantees, of course, he’s still a vigilante. 

“Looks all good to me,” Marcus says then, removing his hands from Callum’s chest, and he looks like he doesn’t really want to. “So, do you want to explain why you thought it was a good idea to straight up confront an armed and dangerous guy instead of just letting him rob that store?”

“It’s a small family-owned store,” Callum defends himself. “The owner doesn’t have much to live on, just the income from the store. I wasn’t about to let some asshole steal everything she worked so hard for.” Marcus is looking at him with an expression that’s a mixture between exasperation and fondness, and Callum isn’t sure what to make of it. “This is exactly why I do what I do, risks be damned.”

“It’s those risks that worry me,” Marcus says quietly. “You’re not invincible, you’re a human guy with some fancy equipment. What if he hadn’t aimed for your chest? What if he’d gone straight for your head? I don’t think your mask is bulletproof.”

“It’s not,” Callum replies. He’s not sure if he should be annoyed or flattered that Marcus is clearly concerned about him. “But I’m fine.”

“What if you hadn’t been fine?” 

Callum isn’t sure why Marcus is pushing this so much. Yeah, it was a risk, but if Callum ran at the slightest hint of danger every time, he shouldn’t be doing this at all. “What are you on about?”

“Callum, please just take off the mask. I’m tired of talking to a black, plastic shield.”

“What?” Callum squeaks. How does Marcus know it’s him? How has he figured it out? Has anyone else figured it out, too? Are they in danger of someone coming after Callum and, in extension, Marcus?

“You heard me, take off the mask. Please.”

“No, you- you called me by my name,” Callum stutters. 

“Yes, ‘mystery vigilante’ is a bit long. Besides, I figured it out that first night, when you called me by my name without me ever telling you. Sorry to say, but your ears gave you away, and your voice is pretty distinct without that creepy Darth Vader effect,” Marcus says calmly. “I couldn’t believe it at first, because you really don’t look like the vigilante type. But then I started noticing other things, like the fact that you were clearly going to the gym-“ Marcus gestures towards Callum’s arms, “and that you’re incredibly smart and definitely capable of coming up with all those devices you use. And it turns out I was right.” 

Callum sighs, taking off the mask and facing Marcus, both of them on equal ground now. “I need to work on being less obvious.” Somehow, it’s a weight off his shoulders that Marcus knows, that he doesn’t have to figure out a way to tell him and hurt him for not being honest with him directly.

Marcus chuckles softly, approaching him slowly. “You’re fine, it’s just that I know you by now. I’ll always be able to tell you apart, mask or not.” There’s a silence, Marcus’s words hanging over them, like storm clouds on a summer evening. “That was a lot heavier than I intended it to be,” Marcus adds quietly. “But I do mean it. I care about you a lot more than I thought I did, and it’s been scary to realise. You’re a vigilante, which is both dangerous and kinda illegal. I study economics and I take first aid classes for fun. How would that ever work?”

Callum reaches for his hand carefully. Marcus lets him. “We would figure it out. I could quit the whole vigilante business. I’m still in college, there’s a lot of things I can do with my life.” 

“I don’t know, Callum. I wouldn’t want you to give up something you’re passionate about but I’m already worried out of my mind every night when word goes around that the vigilante is patrolling again. Since I found you that first time, I can’t even bear the thought of that happening to you again, or worse.” Marcus sounds hesitant, despite having just admitted to caring about Callum in a way that goes far beyond friendship. Callum gently places his hands on either side of Marcus’s face, forcing him to look at Callum. “Don’t,” Marcus warns him.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t say you’ll change for me, I don’t want you to change. I just want to be able to sleep in peace without wondering if you’re bleeding out somewhere on a street with no one to help you.”

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Callum counters, shaking his head when Marcus raises a skeptical eyebrow. “But we can talk about it and see if we can figure out an arrangement that works for both of us.”

“Like what?” Marcus whispers. He’s got his hands on Callum’s waist now. 

“Limited nights, maybe only on the weekend since that’s when it’s busiest in the city anyway. You can monitor me from home, be my cliché guy in the chair. Though I don’t think superheroes usually date their guy in the chair, but I digress. As soon as something goes awry, you’re aware, and you can send help if necessary.”

Marcus sighs deeply. “I don’t know.” He doesn’t sound as certain as he did a few minutes ago. 

“Marcus. I fell in love with you weeks ago and I know you feel the same.” Callum isn’t above begging, but he doesn’t want Marcus to feel pressured into agreeing to this. “I genuinely think we can find something that works for us and if it gets too dangerous or something else happens-“ Marcus covers Callum’s mouth with his hand but Callum continues, just sounding a bit muffled now. “If something else happens, I swear I’m out. It’s not worth my life. I promise.”

Marcus removes his hand slowly, looking up at him with a pensive expression. “God, you’re infuriating,” is what he says eventually. Callum makes an offended noise, but Marcus is forgiven when he pulls Callum’s face down to meet his lips. It’s soft and sweet for a while, both of them just getting used to this and trying to figure out what works best, letting their lips move together softly. Callum pulls him closer when Marcus parts his lips, lets Callum deepen the kiss as they’re pressed together with no space between them at all. It’s good and Callum feels like he’s floating, can barely believe this is really happening. They break apart eventually as Callum rests his forehead against Marcus’s. 

“We will figure something out,” Callum says, and he can almost hear the desperation in his own voice. Now that he’s had a taste of this, of what they could be like together, he wants more and more. 

Marcus kisses him again, short and sweet. “We will. So, I guess I’m dating a hot vigilante now.” 

It makes Callum grin widely. “Yeah, I guess you’re my boyfriend now.”

“You guess? You better be sure about it,” Marcus says, dragging his thumb over Callum’s bottom lip. “Unless you still have doubts, of course, in which case…” 

Callum grabs him by the waist before he can get out of reach, pulling him closer and into another kiss. “Tease,” he mumbles and Marcus laughs.

“Who said I was teasing?” And when he jumps to wrap his legs around Callum’s waist, Callum catches him and carries him off to the bedroom.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always very much appreciated! <3
> 
> I also have a [Tumblr](http://allthefadinglights.tumblr.com/), come say hi!


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